HealthyLife Articles

Tag: health

  • What Your Fingernails Reveal About Your Health

    Skin Conditions

    Image of fingernails.

    You may see your hands hundreds of times a day, but do you ever examine them? Probably not. Yet taking a closer look – especially at our fingernails – may not be a bad idea. They’re a good indicator of overall health.

    Spoon-shaped nails, for example, may simply be an inherited trait – or they can be a clue to a thyroid deficiency or iron deficiency anemia. Nails that have no “moon” or white crescent at the base and are thin and brittle might indicate an underactive thyroid. Still other changes – like brittleness or pitting – may be signs of other nutritional deficiencies or injury to the nail bed. While no one can diagnose a health problem on the basis of nail irregularities only, the table on next page may tip you off to possible health problems. (Consult your doctor if you see any significant changes in your nails.)

    Barring any medical explanation for nail problems, the following tips can help your nails look healthier and more attractive.

    *  Eat a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products.

    *  Wear gloves when you do household chores or hobbies to avoid contact with detergents or harsh chemicals that can dry or damage nails.

    *  Clean nails with a nail brush, especially if you garden or work with messy materials. Clip cuticles and rough skin to prevent tears. File nails in one direction only. Use an emery board, not a metal nail file.

    *  Don’t use your nails as tools, such as to remove staples. If you polish your nails, use polish remover sparingly.

    Nail Symptoms and What They Could Mean

    Brittleness: Frequent immersion in hot water; generally poor health; impaired circulation; possible deficiency of vitamins A, C, B6, or niacin, deficiency of calcium or iron; thyroid deficiency

    Clubbing: Chronic lung disease or lung cancer; congenital heart disease; congenital or hereditary defect

    Pitting (may be normal): Eczema; psoriasis; trauma

    Ridges: Emphysema; heredity; kidney failure; old age; rheumatoid arthritis, traumas

    Separation (when nail plate lifts off nail bed): Allergy to nail lacquer and hardeners; fungal infection; iron deficiency anemia; pregnancy; psoriasis; trauma

    Splitting at top edge: Immersion in water for long periods, nail polish removers

    Spoon shaped: Thyroid deficiency; iron deficiency anemia

    A Year of Health Hints book by the American Institute for Preventive Medicine. www.HealthyLife.com. All rights reserved.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Men’S Health 2

    MEDICAL NEWS

    Image of oler man at the doctor's office.

    Increasing awareness of health problems that can be prevented among men and encourage men and boys to get early detection and treatment of disease and injury.

    6 health tests men need

    Here are 6 essential screening tests all men should receive during their lifetime, according to pathologist and men’s health expert Dr. Thomas Wheeler, Baylor College of Medicine.

    1.Prostate cancer:The prostate specific antigen (PSA) test was developed to help detect prostate cancer in men, but experts now disagree about treating the cancer if detected. Men, starting at age 50, should speak with their docs about the pros and cons of screening. For those in high-risk categories, this conversation should begin at age 45 or earlier.

    2.Blood pressure:It’s a simple and painless test for the “silent killer.” Why? Because high blood pressure has no symptoms. Often, simple diet changes and regular exercise can lower blood pressure. If not, the medications to control blood pressure are well tolerated and do not cost a lot.

    3.Cholesterol:A cholesterol test also is a simple screening test and is advised for men at least every 5 years, or yearly if abnormal.

    4.Colon cancer:This is the third most common cancer in Americans. Beginning at age 50, men should be screened for precancerous polyps and colon cancer. Screening tests include the fecal occult blood test, flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy.

    5.Skin cancer:Limiting sun exposure and receiving regular check-ups can help men avoid this common cancer including melanoma – a potentially deadly form.

    6.Diabetes:Men 45 years and older should be tested for type 2 diabetes every 3 years. Common screening blood tests are fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c. Diabetes can be detected early before complications of more advanced disease set in.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Men’S Health

    Men’s Health

    Older man smiling.

    Common reasons men give for not seeing a doctor or getting health screenings are, “I feel fine” and “I’m afraid of what the doctor will find.”

    Don’t wait until you get sick to find a doctor. It is better to prevent a health problem than to get it. The next best thing is to detect and treat an illness early.

    Testicular cancer is very curable, especially when it is found and treated in its early stages. Do a testicular self-exam monthly.

    Erectile dysfunction is usually caused by blood vessel diseases, diabetes, and other physical problems.

    An enlarged prostate gland is common. Signs of this are the need to pass urine more often, especially at night and delay in onset and/or slow stream of urine flow. If you have these signs, see your doctor. They can also be signs of a prostate infection or prostate cancer.

    Discuss prostate cancer screening with your doctor if you are a male aged 50 to 69; starting at 45 if you are an African American male; 40 and older if you have a family history of prostate cancer.

    Though rare, men can get breast cancer.

    Health at Home Lifetime book by the American Institute for Preventive Medicine. www.HealthyLife.com. All rights reserved.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • No Yoke?

    HEALTHY EATING

    Image of salad with hard boil eggs.

    Adding eggs to a salad with a variety of raw vegetables is an effective method to improve the absorption of carotenoids. Those are fat-soluble nutrients that help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, according to research from Purdue University. “Eating a salad with a variety of colorful vegetables provides several unique types of carotenoids, including beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene,” said Wayne Campbell, a professor of nutrition science. “The lipid contained in whole eggs (including the yoke especially) enhances the absorption of all these carotenoids.”

    This research is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

    FYI:

    The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting dietary cholesterol to no more than 300 mg a day. (A single egg has almost 200 mg.) The 2015 Dietary Guidelines, to be published later this year, will no longer restrict dietary cholesterol. Why? The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s found no evidence to show a strong enough link between consuming dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol levels. As with all medical guidelines, discuss your particular needs with your doctor.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Plan For A Healthy Pregnancy

    Women’s Health

    To help a pregnancy get off to a good start, take these steps before you get pregnant:

    *  Get a medical checkup. Discuss your medical history and your family medical history with your doctor.

    *  Do you have a chronic medical problem, such as asthma, diabetes, or high blood pressure? If you do, ask your doctor if changes need to be made in your treatment plan.

    *  Find out what medicines you can take. Ask which ones you should not take. Tell or show your doctor all prescribed and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, herbal products, etc. that you take. Ask if you need to change any of these while you try to get pregnant.

    *  Take 400 to 800 micrograms (.4 to .8 milligrams) of folic acid every day. This B vitamin can help prevent serious birth defects of the brain and spine. Make sure you take folic acid for at least one month before you get pregnant. Women who have had a baby with a serious problem of the brain or spine should take the amount of folic acid their doctors advise.

    *  Discuss current and past birth control methods.  Ask what method you should use until you decide to get pregnant.

    *  If you or your partner has a family history of sickle-cell disease, Tay-Sachs disease, etc., get genetic counseling. Do this, too, if you are older than age 35 or if your partner is age 60 or older.

    *  Do you smoke? Do you take street drugs? If so, now is the time to quit. Get help if you need it.

    *  Stop or limit alcohol use. This will make it easier to go without it when you are pregnant.

    *  Get vaccines, as advised by your doctor.

    *  Avoid exposure to X-rays.

    *  Caffeine is okay for women planning to get pregnant, but limit it to 400 milligrams a day. This is the amount in about two 8-ounce cups of coffee. Follow your doctor’s advice for caffeine during pregnancy.

    *  Get regular exercise.

    *  If you are overweight, lose weight before you get pregnant.

    *  Eat healthy foods. These include:

    – Fruits and vegetables.

    – Whole grain breads and cereals.

    – Low-fat dairy foods and other calcium-rich foods.

    Resources

    March of Dimes

    www.marchofdimes.com

    Women's Self-Care book by the American Institute for Preventive Medicine. www.HealthyLife.com. All rights reserved.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Pump Up Your Heart In 5 Easy Steps

    SELF-CARE CORNER

    Image of older women laughing.

    Did you know that a good night’s sleep can help prevent heart disease? That’s just one way to lower your risk. Dr. Holly Andersen, director of education and outreach at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, offers some easy steps to improve heart health and overall well-being:

    Step 1: Know your numbers.

    Your blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels are the most important numbers you will need to know before you take the path to good heart health. A normal blood pressure level is 140/85 or lower, total cholesterol levels should be less than 200, and triglycerides less than 150.

    Step 2: Start walking.

    Exercise really is the fountain of youth. A simple 20- to 30-minute walk a few days a week can actually cut your risk of premature death by more than half. Physical activity also improves sleep, reduces stress, elevates mood, reduces blood pressure, improves cholesterol, improves brain health, and prevents memory loss.

    Step 3: Laugh out loud.

    Laughter is good medicine. Just 15 minutes of laughter is about equal to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise with respect to our heart health. So choose funny movies on Netflix. Laughter has also been linked to the healthy function of blood vessels, an increase in the brain hormones that improve mood, and reduction of pain  and anxiety.

    Step 4: Focus on your waistline, not your weight.

    Your waistline is a better measurement of your overall health than your weight because the amount of fat around your waistline is directly linked to high blood pressure and high cholesterol and can place you at increased risk for diabetes. Anything you can do to make your waistline smaller is definitely a step in the right direction. Liposuction doesn’t count!

    Step 5: Get a good night’s sleep.

    Sleep is one of the most undervalued elements of our daily routines, but it is absolutely vital to good health. Lack of sleep increases your blood pressure, induces stress, increases your appetite and slows down your metabolism, dampens your mood and decreases your brain power.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • Tips To Protect Your Eyes

    Eye Conditions

    Man smiling wearing dark sunglasses.

    Look cool and protect your eyes at the same time!

    *  Anytime your eyes are exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light, wear eyewear that protects your eyes. Do this when it is sunny and even on cloudy days. Choose sunglasses that block 99 to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays.

    *  Pick the color lenses you want, but make sure they have UV protection.

    *  Take sunglasses you already have to your eye doctor or to an optical shop. A UV meter can measure the amount of UV a lens can absorb.

    *  The sun’s UV rays are the most harmful between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

    *  Reflected glare from snow or ice doubles the risk of UV damage.

    *  If you wear contact lenses, choose ones with UV protection and wear sunglasses that have it, too. These protect eye tissue that the contact lenses do not cover.

    Health at Home Lifetime book by the American Institute for Preventive Medicine. www.HealthyLife.com. All rights reserved.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine

  • 10 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Midlife

    SELF-CARE CORNER

    Image of couple dancing.

    Are your best years ahead? A national survey of women between the ages of 35 and 49, sponsored in partnership with the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health and Teva Women’s Health shows that more than three-quarters of women in midlife say the best years are ahead, not behind. Yet midlife is notoriously known as a time of crisis. Women’s health expert, Dr. Judith Reichman, tells how women are seizing the midlife moment and making new choices related to their health.

    If you have not already joined the ranks of women enjoying midlife, here are 10 ways to get the most out of these years:

    1. Don’t obsess about those 8 glasses of water each day. Drink when you are thirsty and when you are exercising briskly. Too much water reduces the impact of electrolytes and strains the bladder.

    2. Focus on family bonding. Often midlife crises for women are not an age phenomenon but rather due to the very significant changes that occur in the lives of our growing-up children and our maturing (we hope) partners.

    3. Spend more time with your partner. Don’t wait until the nest is already empty. This is the time to rediscover why you fell in love in the first place.

    4. Rev up the love life. You are free to go on dates with your partner-real dates!

    5. Periodically reevaluate your choice of birth control. The second-highest rates of unplanned pregnancies occur in midlife.

    6. Worry more about you. PMS gets worse with age, and work and family responsibilities continue to rise, so it is important to establish de-stressing routines, including setting aside time to exercise and visit with friends.

    7. Cut down on salt, reduce your caloric intact by 100-200 calories per day and boost your calcium and vitamin D intake. By midlife, most women are at high risk for high blood pressure and heart disease. Cutting salt can save your life and set up your family for healthy habits as they get older.

    8. Embrace your desire to sleep. Now is the time to develop good sleep habits to prepare you for the next stage of life as hormonal changes during menopause increase sleep troubles.

    9. Do something you thought you would never have time for. Take up a new hobby or go back to an activity you love-knitting, dancing, learning, or volunteering. Do something that makes you feel good about yourself.

    10. See your doctor. You have always made sure everyone else in the family gets a yearly check-up, but what about you? Schedule those yearly health screenings and don’t neglect your own health.

    Judith Reichman, MD, is an attending physician in gynecology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and author of Slow Your Clock Down: The Complete Guide to a Healthy, Younger You.

    © American Institute for Preventive Medicine